January
4, 2012
Mountain
height: 1800 m
Elevation gain: 450m
Ascent time: 1:45
Descent
time: 1:15
Solo
hike/snowshoe.
After
a miserable night of sleep due to the flu, I set my sights on an ascent
of the
Mount Living Room Couch, where I would spend the entire day recovering.
However,
I started to feel better by early afternoon, the sky was still clear
and the
reported nasty winds had yet to materialize. As such, I upgraded the
Mount
Living Room ascent to one of Carbondale Hill, near the Castle Mountain
Ski
Resort.
The
ascent was very easy, surprisingly scenic (perhaps because the scenery
from
Mount Living Room Couch would have been undoubtedly dull), and the
summit view quite
impressive for a “Hill”. I took the south ridge going up and used the
Fire
Lookout access road for descent.
A
very pleasant day.
The south ridge of Carbondale Hill
The scenery opens up if you leave the fire road
The colourful remnants of a tree
Same as above
A more complete tree
Same as above
Same as above
Evidence of strong winds
The snowy upper ridge
Part of the Flathead Range; Mount Darrah in the centre
Cornices
Clouds above the three summits of Syncline Mountain
The corniced ridge
Same as above
Almost at the top
A lone tree always seems to receive lots of attention
Same as above
Almost at the summit
The fire lookout
Same as above
Looking back along the summit ridge
At the lookout
The view of the Flathead Range to the west
Mount Darrah at the left
Another view to west
The far south end of the Caldron Peak
The three summits of Mount Coulthard
The pleasant environs to the north
Heading down the fire road
Looking back to the lookout
\
Another lone tree
More of the fire road
An arch of clouds at the end of the day
